*****

Initial Thoughts: We received this toy as part of the Toys R Us Toyologist programme, and it’s the first thing that has caused tears – the 5 year old and 8 year old couldn’t agree who should be chief tester for this set! The Scoot and Scurry City Playset is a plastic circuit that includes various gates and curves, and includes two furry animals who scoot around the track. The animals aren’t Zhu Zhu pets, but are pretty much the same sort of idea – squeaky, small and irresistible to small girls, it seems.You can use those toys with this playset.

We liked: The kids loved this set and after a week’s play, it is still getting daily use. The animals are cute and appealing to little ones, while the set offers plenty of imaginative play opportunities – along the track there are little things that spin around and go up and down, as well as a sort of beauty parlour area where the animals can play hairdressers. There are some nice accessories, including hair brushes, bins that tip over, and so on.

We weren’t keen: This set requires adult assembly, which is never my favourite thing. It was a little tricky to work out from the instructions but only took about 20 minutes in total. Once assembled, it’s relatively sturdy and doesn’t take up too much room. As a parent, though, my major complaint is these pet toys – the noise is beyond infuriating. But I say that because I’m an old curmudgeon, probably.

Overall: A lovely, reasonably priced play-set that went down equally well with a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old. Some nice accessories, and the Furry Frenzies Scoot and Scurry City playset is reasonably robust and stable once assembled. Big enough for two children to play together, too.